This invention relates to the efficient repair and modification of existing large, heavy-duty industrial racks (“racks”) of the type used for the convenient and temporary hanging and storage of heavy components. While the present invention is much broader in scope, an example of such a rack is one used in a factory setting as part of an ongoing manufacturing process in the automotive industry for hanging multiple heavy parts (e.g., transmissions) until the parts are ready for their eventual inclusion in a larger production unit as shown in FIG. 1.
Given the robust structural requirements, racks of the above type are very heavy and expensive, and pose unique challenges when there is a need to repair them (e.g., as a result of damage or unacceptable deformations) or modify them. The challenges include a lack of parts or raw material needed to repair the rack and a lack of the special equipment needed to repair the rack.
The prior art approach to repairing industrial racks is to ship them offsite to a facility having the necessary heavy duty welding, bending, and other repair apparatuses, as well as having the necessary repair raw materials. In addition to the cost of shipping the rack to the repair facility and back, the time needed to accomplish the shipping can significantly slow and even halt factory production in the interim. What is therefore sorely needed but not provided by the prior art is an approach for achieving substantial cost and time reductions during the repair or modification of heavy-duty industrial racks.